Thermal responses of woods exposed to high temperatures considering apparent thermo-physical properties

It is well known that the use of woods as construction materials can embody carbon content of structural members, which can enhance the urban sustainability. However, due to the combustibility of wood, its current application is restricted. To broaden the application of wood, its thermal responses exposed to fire (high temperature) is investigated in this study. Firstly, the wood kinetic parameters are determined by coats-redfern method using thermal gravimetric (TGA) data. Secondly, the density and thermal conductivity are obtained from parallel and series models. Thirdly, the specific heat capacity formula is presented considering latent and decomposition heat, which can be directly determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Finally, the one-dimensional nonlinear heat transfer model with apparent thermo-physical properties is proposed. The four-sided heating experiment of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is carried out to investigate the temperature filed. The results show that the proposed model can predict the thermal responses of timber structures subjected to fire and high temperatures precisely.